Podgórze

Address:

ul. Limanowskiego, Kraków

In 1784, Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, founded the town of Podgórze on the site of a mediaeval settlement located on the right bank of the Vistula. The new town officially assumed its common name, Podgórze.

In the Austrian times, Podgórze saw dynamic industrial growth. At the end of the 19th century, it was the 19th largest city of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, matching the size of Nowy Sącz and the Czech Olomouc. As a result, Podgórze could be not only Kraków's competitor, but also a partner.

The moment the idea of Grand Kraków (formed by annexing the neighbouring communes) was implemented (1904-1910), it became clear that Podgórze's annexation was just a matter of time. And thus, after laborious negotiations, Podgórze joined Kraków as its 22nd district in 1915.

Unfortunately, the history of Podgórze also involves the extermination of the residents of Jewish descent in Kraków and the surrounding areas. This is where the Nazis created a ghetto in the form of a Jewish quarter surrounded by a wall, in the spring of 1941, which was eliminated in a bloodbath two years later.